


Oscar Wins

by HayleyLovesJessica



Category: Actor RPF, Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF
Genre: Cute, F/F, Romance, Wow, bisexual love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-08-31
Packaged: 2018-04-18 07:32:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4697570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HayleyLovesJessica/pseuds/HayleyLovesJessica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jessica finally wins her statue. Hayley comes out on top as well. Pure fantasy fluff. That's all this is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oscar Wins

“And the Oscar goes to…”  
  
When Famous Hollywood Actor, who’d won his Oscar the year before, called the name “Jessica Chastain,” Jerri and Mike, her parents, seated on her left, screamed, hugged, and kissed their daughter. Seated on her right, Hayley Atwell, whose appearance on the red carpet for the very first time with Jessica Chastain had raised more than a few eyebrows as they arrived, squeezed her hand, which she’d been holding, and squealed. As the tumult of love surrounding her broke out along with the applause in the auditorium, Jessica closed her eyes and paused in her seat, collecting herself and catching her breath. She turned, returning her parents’ hugs and kissing them on their cheeks, and turned again, hugging Hayley and offering a beautiful smile, then kissing her on her cheek. Not just Jessica’s life but Jessica and Hayley’s were about to change.  
  
The orchestra crooned the theme of the movie, a biopic of Marilyn Monroe, for which she won. Everyone in the auditorium clapped, smiled, was happy for her, even her fellow nominees. She’d won every other major prize for her performance, the so-called precursors, from the various Critics Circles to the SAG, the BAFTA, and the Golden Globe. They knew her win was a foregone conclusion, and they’d accepted it. And her performance really was that good. And she’d been that good for so long, she was due, they reasoned. But Jessica had swept through the awards season with such humility, generosity towards them, and class that even the most cynical of her fellow actress nominees knew she was sincere when, in her other acceptance speeches, she expressed her gratitude for the recognition, talked about the importance of focusing on the work, just trying to turn in the best work possible, and described how much inspiration she took from them and the other great actresses whose performances that year were just as worthy of renown and acclaim as hers and theirs had been.  
  
Amidst this display of approval and affection from the industry and her peers, she got up from her seat and started walking. Although she never would have admitted it, she figured she’d win, but it was still surreal. Dressed to perfection in a crimson Chanel gown with a sweetheart neckline and silhouette that made love to her figure, her steps landed as though in slow-motion, and her head, dizzy as though she’d gone faint, swam with vertigo. She smiled as she carefully stepped, unconscious of the moment when the young, attractive, nameless usher had taken her by the arm to escort her to the podium at the center of the biggest stage she’d ever held. Famous Hollywood Actor, an older man whose work she’d long admired, grinned, handed her the trophy, kissed her on the cheek, and stepped out of her limelight, having delivered the obligatory “Congratulations” somewhere in that sequence. Jessica simply focused on breathing, as though she were a first-year back at Julliard. The view from that stage was one unlike any she’d ever seen before. It was a surprisingly cerebral experience. The bodies and faces that filled the full range of her vision were something that, emotionally, she couldn’t quite process, which is saying something for a woman as sensitive as she. Later on, she’d compare the experience to the view you have looking down on the landscape from a plane: _You know it’s real, but the sense of distance between you and that reality is too much, too far for the image to be anything other than notional._ And realizing that she was abstracting the faces before her, all so happy for her, she caught herself and smiled at her own foolishness, and time went back to passing at the normal rate of unattended consciousness.  
  
Out of nowhere, she heard, “Oh my God. Oh my God,” and realized those words were slipping out from between her own lips. She’d prepared a speech, and, again, without any awareness of it, her hands were in her purse, fishing it out. She took a deep breath, knowing that, in the limited time she would be given, she was about to say things that would make global headlines. But she’d prepared for this moment, spent hours writing and rewriting and rewriting again, making sure that everything she had to say would be true and honest and authentic to her, her feelings, and her intentions. Closing her eyes one last time, self-possession returning, bravery building, she unfolded the sheet of paper and began to speak.  
  
“Thank you! Thank you. This, this is such an honor. When I made the decision to play Marilyn Monroe, I knew I was taking on an enormous responsibility. An enormous responsibility. With her beauty, her charm, her” (stressed) “tremendous talent, everyone thinks they know her. And she gave so much of herself to people, not just in her movies but in her life. But few people ever really knew her. Even now, she’s still a mystery to me. And what I learned about her and about myself and about others from playing this part is that her story, like that of so many people in this world, is such a sad story. Her life was a tragedy. Because, beneath all that glamour and that carefully crafted persona, deep down, all she ever really wanted was to be loved. That’s it. She just wanted to be loved. Well, I want to say, I love you! I love you all! And thank you!” And here her pace picked up. “Thank you to the Academy for the honor of a lifetime. To my fellow nominees, Viola, Jennifer, Charlize, Anne, it’s been a privilege to count myself amongst you. Your talent and spirit are boundless, I learn so much from watching you work and take so much pleasure from watching you perform. If we haven’t worked together already, I sincerely hope we have that chance someday. I love you all. As long as women like you are in this industry, we just might be in good hands. Thank you, Brad, Dede, Danny, Doug, James, Bridget, the entire team behind this phenomenal movie and everyone at the studio. Joyce Carol Oates, one of our country’s greatest writers, you wrote an extraordinary novel. Thank you for the gift of your words. Andrew, you’re the director every actor dreams of having. Thank you so much. Eric, Bill, Emma, John, Edgar, Michelle, everyone else in the cast and crew, I wouldn’t be standing here without you. I love you all. To my team, Hyldy, Jane, Alexa, and everyone at CAA, thank you. Every artist should have people in their corner like you. I love you all.”  
  
“Jess, Michelle, Michael, Oscar, Jason, Al, Ralph, Kathryn, Mark, Ned, Gian Luca, you guys have been the best group of friends I could have ever asked for. You listen, you make me laugh, you’ve kept me sane, especially during all this” (here, she waved to indicate the proceedings of which she was the center of attention) “and I can never express what you mean to me. I love you all.”  
  
“To my parents, mom, dad, you’ve given me nothing but unconditional love and support through all these years. When I didn’t believe in myself, you did for me, and the example you’ve set by your kindness and wisdom and love has been one that, as a grown woman, I’ve always tried to live up to. I can never repay everything that you’ve given me. I am the person I am today because of you, and I love you so, so much.  
  
She knew she was running out of time, and she knew she’d go over, but she also knew she commanded the stage and, with a stern but playful word, the orchestra building up underneath her to gently whisk her away would go silent.  
  
“I have received so much love from so many people over the years, oftentimes from the most surprising sources—early on in my career, from the casting directors and producers who didn’t hire me, which forced me to become a better actress, to the fans who’ve lined up for hours in the rain just for a picture or an autograph. I’m so grateful for all the love that I have received” (her voice clutched) “in all manner of forms, even in forms I didn’t realize were love at the time, and I am humbled by this love. Sometimes, it feels overwhelming, especially because I just want to return that love to everyone who’s given it to me. Standing here, I wish the same love to everyone, all of you out there.”  
  
And with that, the applause began and the music started to sound. But Jessica wasn’t finished.  
  
“Hold on! Hold on! Mr. Conductor, sir. Tina, Amy. I have a couple more things to say! I know we’re over, but trust me, please, this’ll be worth it.”  
  
Tina and Amy, who’d accepted this hosting gig and who’d killed it earlier during the opening monologue and subsequently throughout the evening, accepted her appeal and shrugged their acceptance. “Let her talk, let her talk,” said Tina. “Okay, okay, okay” Amy demurred but encouragingly.  
  
Jessica took a breath, glanced at her speech, and looked out into the audience. “You know, the thing about love is that all love is meaningful and has value. It’s still a hard thing for some people to accept in this day and age, but it’s true. All love has value. I’d like to think that Marilyn would have been a proud supporter of dignity and equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.” (The audience was on her side, applauding politely and nodding their approval of her general sentiment.) “I can’t speak for her, but I can speak for myself. And the first thing I want to say is all love has value. A man’s love for his girlfriend or wife has value. A woman’s love for her boyfriend or husband has value.” (A slight pause, with the applause in the auditorium encouraging her to go on.) “A gay or bisexual man’s love for his boyfriend or husband has value.” (A longer pause, with a deep breath.) “A lesbian or bisexual woman’s love” (and, here, as the clapping continued, she raised her hand, as though to indicate, _Hello, me?_ ) “for her girlfriend or wife. Has. Value.”  
  
As some people in the audience began to realize that this wasn’t just a litany of heartfelt platitudes anymore, the temperature of the room began to change.  
  
Jessica continued. “Apropos.”  
  
And it began to dawn on the people there, and the auditorium grew quiet.  
  
Jessica’s attention turned from the many to the one. Specifically, to one person in the front row, a couple seats from Jerri and Mike. She spoke directly to her, as though the two of them were the only people in all the world. “Hayley. We’d talked about this and said we’d come out if I won. Well, here we are,” she offered, half-joking, half-serious, before a wave of seriousness then swept across her face, announcing that, no, in front of these thousands of people and in front of the hundreds of millions of people watching on television around the world, she was completely serious. For the tiniest fraction of a second, Jessica stopped, the gravity of the situation halting her in her tracks, leaving her momentarily unsure whether to continue, whether she’d just crossed a line and taken things too far. More nervous than she’d ever been in her life, she overcame the inertia, took a deep breath, and her courage returned to her. “Well, go big or go home, right?”  
  
Hayley Atwell, so beautiful in her rich blue Dior gown and sapphires and diamonds, sat in her seat, mouth agape, heart pounding, chest slowly heaving, eyes wide, and suspense and hope filling her face.  
  
“Hayley, my sweet cinnamon roll” (said with such loving endearment that the jaw dropped on Famous Hollywood Actor a few yards behind her) “since you came into my life three years ago, you’ve been my best friend, my confidante, …my lover” (gasps were audible) “and so much more. I love you. Your strength, your intelligence, your” (much emphasized) “amazing talent, your grace, your down-to-earth spirit and energy, your crazy sense of humor, your firm sense of self and empathy and compassion for others, and…your big heart…have been the great blessing of my life. I never thought I would ever fall in love with another woman, but” (her voice caught, almost like a whispered falsetto, and tears slowly began to trickle from Jessica’s eyes) “I have. How could I not? You’re the most wonderful person I’ve ever known. And you have been my rock, my fortress, my comfort, my angel. I don’t know where I’d be without you, but I wouldn’t be here. I love you.”  
  
In her seat, breathless and nearly panting, Hayley softly called out, “I love you.”  
  
“And I can’t imagine a life, much less a career or a, a home without you. And I don’t want to. Because you, my sweet lady, kick ass! You rock my world in the kitchen with your cooking. You rock my world in the bedroom” (the joy and charming mischief in Jessica’s face could never be captured by a million photographs) “…with your cooking” (gentle laughter from the crowd, who were completely in the palm of her hand). “You take such good care of me, you support me and my career, and you let me do the same for you, sharing your vulnerability and insecurity and the trials and tribulations that you face in what is such a difficult profession, especially for women who approach this work with purpose and a sense of responsibility. I’m so grateful to you for all these things and for all those things that words cannot express. You’re…you’re everything to me, and I will never let you go.”  
  
All the while, Jessica’s attention had locked in tighter and tighter on Hayley, and the volume of her voice had gradually fallen, as though the two of them were alone, just talking quietly, in the living room in her midtown apartment. By this point, all cameras were pointed at either Jessica or Hayley, and the thousands of people in attendance, from the stars to the seat fillers, were on the edge of their seats, waiting to see how this could possibly play out. Even the producers of the telecast were on pins and needles, unconsciously aware that they were capturing not only Oscar history but also cultural history, if not social history, in the making.  
  
Jessica’s parents simply smiled. They knew what was coming. They’d been the only people in the world whom Jessica had trusted enough to talk to about her plans if she got on that stage and what she’d say and what she’d do. And they alone noticed as their daughter’s hand subtly reached into her purse and pulled out a little black velvet box.  
  
“Soooooo.” At long last, everyone knew they were about to receive some sort of payoff and, whatever it was, they’d be talking about it for weeks or months to come.  
  
Holding up the ring and slowly waving it at her beloved, Jessica asked, “Hayley Elizabeth Atwell, I love you…will you marry me?”  
  
A roar of approval burst forth from the audience. Famous Hollywood Actor applauded, like a happy father, as though all this had been his brilliant idea. Tina and Amy looked at each, exhaled, laughed, and blurted out, “Wow!” “Holy shit!” “Wow!” Jerri clapped and cried, and between his sniffles and dabbing efforts at wiping the tears from his eyes, Mike clapped intermittently as well. The director and assistant directors in the booth called frantically on their headsets, instructing cameramen, who themselves had gotten caught up in the real-life drama unfolding in front of them, to turn towards celebrities A, B, C, D, E, F, and G to get reaction shots, which ranged from laughter amidst joyous tears from most of the women in attendance to the slow claps of older men, stolid but happy for the young couple, even if, as a few of them did, they believed that Jessica and Hayley had just committed career suicide.  
  
However, given the enormity of the love that welled up from the crowd, the reality was that that was unlikely. In fact, the opposite could just as well have been possible. Much depended on Hayley’s answer. She was crying, rivers of tears coursing down her face. She had no idea that Jessica was going to propose to her, much less live at the Oscars, much less after having outed them in front of the entire world. She sat in shock as she listened to this extremely public outpouring of love from her favorite gal pal and girlfriend. She wasn’t upset, on the contrary, but she was no less stunned than everyone else bearing witness to this moment. So, when Jessica popped the question, having barely breathed all this time, Hayley, hoarse, could barely call out, “Yes! Yes!” Jerri quickly shifted seats to be next to Hayley and gave her a fierce, loving, maternal hug. And in that moment, amidst all the noise (by this point, the orchestra had come on, fortissimo, the musicians, many gay themselves, proud to be providing accompaniment to this moment), Hayley’s mind regained focus, her heart descended from her throat, and the strength returned to her voice.  
  
“Yes, my love! Yes!” her clarion notes sang out, and she jumped up from her seat to run up the steps of the stage to her new fiancé.  
  
Elated as they were by the innocence and purity of the love between these two beautiful, accomplished women, the masses in the crowd laughed as Hayley, clad in classic couture, hauled herself up the stage, two, three steps at a time, like an athlete in training. Jessica met her with a sweet, gentle smile, but Hayley, loudly calling out “Jessica!,” threw her arms around her, nearly tackling her, and kissed her as though Jessica’s lips alone could ever satisfy her most basic thirsts. Jessica giggled with her lips pressed to Hayley’s and took her beloved’s face in her hands, all her passion and love for Hayley flowing forth in her kiss. When their lips pulled apart, they both laughed and turned to the audience, who, by this point, without exception, were on their feet, smiling, crying, clapping, pumping their fists, shouting their congratulations and approbation. Jessica looked back at Hayley and, with mock challenge, nodded at the ring in her hand and asked, “Well?” Getting her first real look at her engagement ring, Hayley, as over the moon as a teenage girl whose first love has returned her affections, put out her left hand towards Jessica, who stepped in close to her sweet cinnamon roll, took Hayley’s hand in hers, and tenderly put the ring on her fiancé’s finger.  
  
“Jess, I love you so much,” Hayley gushed, looking into her gal pal’s eyes.  
  
“Hayley, I love you too!” Jessica replied, glowing and beaming.  
  
With that, Jessica took Hayley gently by the elbow and indicated that she should show the crowd the ring on her finger, whereupon the auditorium echoed its approval even louder than before. Jessica and Hayley turned back towards each other, smiling and laughing, and embraced. Tina and Amy, no doubt directed by the telecast’s director and producers, shyly began to approach the podium, and seeing them, Jessica and Hayley guffawed, realizing that they and their love had just hijacked a live television event being broadcast around the world that needed to proceed.  
  
“Don’t forget that!” Hayley nodded, indicating the Oscar.  
  
Jessica laughed. “Oh, that?” At some point, her parents, beckoned up by the two comedians, had joined Tina and Amy, and they walked to their daughter and soon-to-be daughter-in-law, delighted, smiling, and more composed than they’d been a minute earlier.  
  
Seeing their approach and knowing their time was up, Hayley turned to Jessica. “Shall we, darling?” and she offered her arm for Jessica to take as the two of them, plus Jessica’s parents, smiled and waved at the audience and finally left the stage.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first fic ever. Constructive criticism would be appreciated.


End file.
